You and me and anyone alike who ever ventured into bodybuilding, be honest thought building muscle was going to be any easy task. You remember when you saw that guy out shopping with his massive arms draped down by his sides or even the first time you saw Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator or Running man (my fav Arnie film).

'What does it take to get big?' you start flicking through magazines and your bombarded with benches and weights, protein shakes, weight gainers and creatine. But between these pages are fundamental bits of information that hold the key to your success in bodybuilding, pages that are overshadowed by other bright coloured pages offering you the next best thing to getting massive......

"WOAH! do you want to gain 8" on your arms and 50lb in muscle mass in the next 30days!? Then get this! MASSIVE BEYOND BELIEF! ingredients: 100g protein per serving, Too much creatine our labs can't count the grams. 200g carbohydrates to support your weight gain goals....."

I know that is slightly over-exaggerated, but to a beginner or somebody who has been bodybuilding for years and hasn't put any size on will more than likely purchase it.

It is Nutrition which is the biggest key for unlocking muscle growth, no miracle powders or drinks. Learning how to build muscle naturally with food, in my opinion should be taught in schools as part of physical education.

Take for instance a car, a car isn't going to move without a engine, battery, fuel and a driver and that is the same situation in bodybuilding. You will not reach your muscle gaining goals if you don't have a decent enough nutrition plan i.e

1. Enough protein to encourage muscle repair and growth.
2. Carbohydrates (complex) to supply your body with energy and a steady blood sugar level.
3. Fats (good) to look after joints, encourage testosterone production (another key factor in muscle growth)
4. A scheduled meal planner e.g. A planner noting when and what to eat spread out over 4-5 or 5-6 small meals a day.

After you have got this sorted then gaining muscle will be an easier task. Remember we are only in the gym for about an hour, give or take. Thats 1 hour, what do you do for the rest of the day? Yes, its nutrition and also rest.

These are key to unlocking all your muscle growth potential:

1. Sound nutrition
2. Ample rest
3. Productive gym sessions that allow progression.

Now instead of flicking through those magazines and looking for the best, new, out of this world shake or drink. Take time to read those other pages and learn exactly how to build muscle naturally with food.

"Without knowledge, there is no power"